Retractable front door stop

ABSTRACT

This invention is a front door stop arranged to retract inside the clearance limits of a railroad car when the car&#39;&#39;s plug-type door is in a closed position. When the plug door is in open position, the front door stop is designed to extend beyond the clearance limits of the car so as to present a striking surface to effectively limit the travel of the door along the door track. The retractable front doorstop is also used to position the door for lateral movement into the door opening in the car side.

United States Patent Inventor Thorvald Madland Arlington Heights, Ill.

Appl. No. 12,242

Filed Feb. 18, 1970 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Assignee The Youngstown Steel Door Company Cleveland, Ohio RETRACTABLE FRONT DOOR STOP 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 49/209,

49/449, 292/78 Int. Cl E05d 15/10 Field of Search... 49/449,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 533,694 2/1895 Wilson 292/78 1,048,989 12/1912 McDonnell 292/18 FOREIGN PATENTS 789,839 7/1968 Canada 49/209 Primary Examiner-Kenneth Downey Att0rneylrving D. Ross, Jr.

FIG. I

PAIENTEU Jun 1 1912 THOR ALD INVENTOR ATTOR PATENTED JAN] 1 I972 SHEET 2 OF 5 INVENTOR Y 0 N fi M o M w M A 0 L m m% mm PATENTEB mu 1 I972 SHEET 3 OF 5 f III] mdE INVENTOR 0 V W my? MMM D w Y T B PATENTEDJAN: 11972 3,633,314

sum u 0F 5 INVENTOR THORVALD MAD AND PATENTED m1 1 I972 SHEET 5 BF 5 Fllll INVENTOR THORVALD MAD MZND ATTO NEY RETRACTABLE FRONT DOOR STOP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has been the practice in the building of railroad box car equipped with plug doors, to apply rigid door stops to the car side to limit the longitudinal travel of the plug door along the door track. Because of the increased width of freight cars and the use of insulated plug-type doors, which are thicker than noninsulated doors, the striking surface of the door stops available to limit the travel of doors has been reduced. In some cases, the door stops are ineffective in limiting the travel of doors. In such cases, doors are disengaged from the railroad car. This loss of doors results in a dangerous condition for personal injuries as well as possible car derailments. The front doorstops, located to the left of the door opening are the most critical to the loss of plug doors because of car clearance limits at this point.

SUMMARY The present invention comprises a front doorstop arranged to retract when the plug door is sealed in closed position and extend when the plug door is opened. To accomplish this retraction and extension of the front-doorstop-actuating means are provided which are attached to the plug door. The actuating means on the plug door are so located so as to engage the front stop when moving laterally in and out of the car door opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing the invention incorporated on a railroad car side and actuating means attached to the railroad car plug door which is shown in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the retractable front doorstop when the plug door is in closed position.

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the retractable front doorstop when the plug door is in closed position.

FIG. 4 is a view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing the retractable front doorstop when the plug door is in open position.

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 showing the retractable front doorstop when the plug door is in open position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now particularly to FIG. 1 a railroad box car plug door is designated by the reference character 10. The plug door is of a typical kind supported on a track 11 and containing an operating mechanism to move the door in and out of the door opening. The plug door 10 contains typical rotatable shafts or pipes and crank assemblies which are rotated by an actuating mechanism to cause the plug door to move in and out of the door opening. The plug door is supported on roller assemblies to permit longitudinal movement of the door along track 11. Rear doorstops designated by the reference characters l2 and 13 are of a typical design and are rigidly attached to car side 14. The present invention, a retractable front doorstop, is designated by the reference characters 14 and 15. These two retractable front doorstops l4 and 15 are identical in design and are shown in their retracted position inside the clearance limits of the railroad car. An arm designated by reference character 16 and 17 is rigidly attached to plug door 10 and is the actuating means to retract the retractable front doorstop 14 and 15 when plug door 10 is moved to closed position.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 2 and 3 the retractable front doorstop 15 consisting of stop member 20 and bracket 21 is shown in retracted position when plug door 10 is in closed position. In this closed position retractable front stop is inside car clearance limits. Arm 16 is shown in FIG. 2 in contact with projecting arm 23 holding stop member 20 in a vertical position against car side. Projecting are 23 fits into recess formed by housing 24 attached to car side 14. In FIG. 3 plug door 10 is shown in its closed position with gasket 19 compressed against sealing surface 25 thereby effecting a seal between plug door 10 and car side 14.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 2 as plug door 10 is moved away from car side 14 arm 16 moves away from projecting arm 23 and contacts engaging surface 25 of stop member 20. This contact will only occur if stop member is tightly fitted around shaft 22. Further outward movement of the plug door 10 and arm 16 causes stop member 20 to rotate around shaft 22 and causes stop member 20 to assume an extended position as shown in FIG. 4. Rib 26 is located on stop member 20 outward from pivotal shaft 22 so that when arm 16 is moved away from projecting arm 23 stop member 20 will pivot around shaft 22 actuated by gravity acting on stop member 20. This actuation of stop member 20 will only occur if stop member 20 is loosely fitted around shaft 22.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 4 and 5 the retractable front door stop 15 consisting of stop member 20, bracket 21 and shaft 22 is shown in extended position when plug door 10 is in open position. Arm 16 which is rigidly attached to plug door 10 is shown in its relation to retractable front doorstop 15 when in open position of plug door 10 and extended position of retractable front doorstop l5. Resilient member 18 is attached to retractable front doorstop at contact point with plug door 10. Gasket 19 is shown attached to plug door 10.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 4, retractable front doorstop 15 in its extended position provides a stop to limit travel of plug door 10 in a longitudinal direction. Retractable front doorstop 10 in its extended position also provides a guiding means to position door in its closed position in car door opening.

Referring now particularly to FIG. 4 where retractable front doorstop 15 is shown in its extended position. Arm 16 is shown when plug door 10 is in open position. As plug door 10 moves laterally toward car side 14 into the door opening it is guided by stop member 20 which is the pivotal member of the retractable front stop 15. Stop member 20 pivots about shaft 22 which is secured to bracket 21. As plug door 10 moves toward car side 14 arm 16 contacts projecting arm 23. Further movement of plug door 10 causes stop member 20 to pivot upward and assume a vertical position against car side when plug door 10 is closed.

Iclaim:

1. In a railroad box car, a plug door assembly comprising:

a plug door;

a pair of rotatable shafts and crank assemblies attached to said plug door, said assemblies including roller means permitting said plug door to be moved on a track in a longitudinal direction along the side of said railroad car and actuating means, attached to said plug door and connected to said shafts, for rotating said assemblies to cause said plug door to move into and out of the door opening, the improvement comprising;

a stop member pivotally mounted on the side of said box car (said stop member including means to retract said stop member when plug door is in closed position and extend said stop member when said plug door is in open position.) adjacent to said door opening and normally extending outwardly in a door blocking position, said stop member, when extended, presents a contact point to arrest longitudinal movement of said plug door at a point overlying said door opening;

a projecting arm on said stop member;

an arm attached to said plug door to engage said projecting arm and pivot said stop member toward said car side when said plug door is moved toward closed position;

a surface on said stop member to engage said arm to pivot said stop member away from said car side when said plug door is moved toward open position.

2. A plug door (stop) assembly as defined in claim I wherein said (means to retract comprises:

side by locating the pivot point of the said stop member closer to the said car side than the center of gravity of said stop member so that when said plug door is moved toward open position the said stop member will extend away from said car side actuated by its weight. 

1. In a railroad box car, a plug door assembly comprising: a plug door; a pair of rotatable shafts and crank assemblies attached to said plug door, said assemblies including roller means permitting said plug door to be moved on a track in a longitudinal direction along the side of said railroad car and actuating means, attached to said plug door and connected to said shafts, for rotating said assemblies to cause said plug door to move into and out of the door opening, the improvement comprising; a stop member pivotally mounted on the side of said box car (said stop member including means to retract said stop member when plug door is in closed position and extend said stop member when said plug door is in open position.) adjacent to said door Opening and normally extending outwardly in a door blocking position, said stop member, when extended, presents a contact point to arrest longitudinal movement of said plug door at a point overlying said door opening; a projecting arm on said stop member; an arm attached to said plug door to engage said projecting arm and pivot said stop member toward said car side when said plug door is moved toward closed position; a surface on said stop member to engage said arm to pivot said stop member away from said car side when said plug door is moved toward open position.
 2. A plug door (stop) assembly as defined in claim 1 wherein said (means to retract comprises: a projecting arm on said stop member, an arm-engaging mean attached to said plug door to engage said projecting arm and pivot said stop member toward said car side when said plug door is moved toward closed position and wherein said means to extend said stop is accomplished) stop member is pivoted away from said car side by locating the pivot point of the said stop member closer to the said car side than the center of gravity of said stop member so that when said plug door is moved toward open position the said stop member will extend away from said car side actuated by its weight. 